Prep Rivalry Ranks High in Emotion : Basketball: Never mind that it was a game between two No. 1-ranked teams. The winner of the longstanding rivalry can claim local bragging rights until this time next year.

The Dominguez High School gymnasium in Compton is draped with championship banners and a handmade sign that reads, “Burn the Wood.” It is half an hour before the Dominguez-Lynwood game, one of prep basketball’s most intense rivalries.

There are two large sets of bleachers, one on each side of the court--one for Dominguez fans, one for Lynwood fans. Both are filling fast.

The Dominguez cheerleaders make their pregame social rounds. Sonja Woodley, whose nickname “Lemon Drop” is lettered on the back of her uniform, has long fingernails of a shade she calls frost pink. The attention these girls have given to their hair and makeup makes it clear that it matters whether they look better than the Lynwood cheerleaders.

At the door, Monellis Pittman, a bulky Lynwood security guard, presides. “No earrings, hats or red or blue shoelaces,” he tells the young people who enter.

The Lynwood team arrives. “It was so quiet on the bus, no one talked,” says Lorna Notley, wife of Lynwood Coach Bill Notley.

Earlier in the afternoon last Friday, Dominguez Coach Russell Otis had watched the excitement in the students’ eyes and said: “This is a big day around here.” There had been a pep rally befitting a battle of top-ranked teams. Dominguez, with a 20-4 record, was No. 1 in the CIF Southern Section 4-AA Division and Lynwood, 25-1, was first in 5-AA.

There was the added incentive of revenge--Lynwood had edged the Dons by 3 points earlier in the season. That was sufficient food for thought for the Dons, who nonetheless were served a pregame steak dinner by the cheerleaders in the school’s home economics building, where tables had been set with china, silverware and glass goblets.

Lynwood takes the floor, and half the gym erupts. The Dons come out next, to a roar from the other half. Flashy warm-up routines turn the court into a panorama of blurred color--the Knights’ purple, the Dons’ red and gold. There is a band with a determined drummer, but the music of choice is recorded rap, and it makes the gym throb.

“Dribble, shoot, take the ball to the hoop . . . hoop,” the Lynwood cheerleaders implore as the game starts.

Lynwood begins with a fast-break. Guard Wonel Irby passes to Earnest Killum, who dunks. The Lynwood side explodes.

“You can’t stop him,” Otis had said hours earlier about Killum, the area’s leading scorer with a 30-point average.

Chris Barnes hits a soft jump shot for the Dons to tie the game at 2-2, but the Knights go back ahead on a tip-in by Charles Levy.

The action is frantic. Lynwood center Joaquin Hawkins blocks a shot by Eric Edmonds, but 6-foot-4 sophomore Larry McGlothin takes an alley-oop pass and dunks to tie the game at 4-4. Then Jeff Rogers makes a great move at full speed and scores a layup to put Dominguez ahead, 6-4.

Otis stands in front of the bench and yells at his players and the referees. At the other end, the veteran Notley chews gum and stands with arms folded, his emotions more in check.

Otis is a tall, slim-waisted man, only 26, who can hardly realize that he is now the coach; it was not many years ago that he played for the Dons. “I never sit,” he had said in the afternoon. “I want my players to know I’m in the game.”

Lynwood goes cold, and after the first quarter, Dominguez is ahead, 12-8.

Michael Whittiker of the Dons makes a three-point shot from the corner to start the second period. Killum, guarded tightly by Darryl Williams, slips and is called for traveling.

With 5:50 left in the half, Killum swishes a three-point shot, but the Knights still trail, 17-13.

Michael Singleton, Lynwood’s point guard and the smallest player on the court, blocks Whittiker’s jumper and feeds Killum, who is fouled as he goes in for the layup. Killum sinks two free throws to cut the lead to 19-17.

Rogers misses a foul shot but seconds later intercepts Singleton’s pass and goes in for a layup and a 21-17 lead.

Outside his afternoon economics class, Rogers had talked about the rivalry between schools that are separated by only two miles. “It means bragging rights,” he had said. “The players know each other. Whoever wins gets to talk the rest of the year.”

Rogers, a 6-foot-1 guard who has signed to play with the University of Texas at El Paso, was living up to his billing. “He’s special,” Otis had said before the game. “He does everything for us. He’s as much a superstar as Killum. He doesn’t get the recognition, but he doesn’t care. He’s mature beyond his age.”

Killum makes two free throws to cut Dominguez’s lead to 21-19 at the half.

Rogers and Whittiker do not go to the locker room at halftime but remain for a homecoming ceremony. Escorting young women in fancy dresses, they re-enter the court beneath a glass backboard that bears the first half’s fresh fingerprints. Rogers is announced as a prince and Whittiker is named king. With a robe over his uniform and a crown on his head, Whittiker walks off with Yadgar Gidden, the new queen, as the crowd cheers.

“Oh, you guys are so cute!” a girl screams.

The third quarter begins with Levy kicking the ball away. Hawkins makes a free throw, then Levy sneaks in for a layup, putting Lynwood ahead, 22-21.

It is midway through the quarter before Edmonds makes a free throw to break the ice. The score is 22-22.

Singleton hits Killum, who makes a reverse dunk. Barnes ties it again with a jump shot. Killum breaks the tie with two free throws, then Williams banks in a shot and it is 26-26. A moment later, Williams makes a foul shot and the Dons have a narrow lead.

“Take that cookie from that rookie,” sing the Lynwood cheerleaders.

Singleton is a swift acrobat who is everywhere. He scores on a layup, then steals the ball and streaks for the basket again.

Lynwood leads by only 31-29 after the third quarter, but appears in control.

There is no letup in the noise. At times it seems like the Lynwood cheerleaders and the Dominguez cheerleaders, twirling in their short skirts, are in perfect sync, giving the same yell.

A few fans are getting rowdy.

Dominguez Athletic Director Willie Donerson grabs the microphone, yelling “Hold it, hold it,” and tells the crowd to quit throwing things on the floor. A blond-haired referee, sweat running down his face, studies the scorebook.

The Knights start the final period with a free throw by Joe Johnson and a three-point play by Killum to make it 35-29.

Dominguez misses three shots on one trip down the court, and with five minutes left trails, 37-33.

Pittman, with SECURITY emblazoned on the back of his jacket, walks in front of the stands, looking up where a scuffle appears to have broken out.

Hawkins misses two free throws for Lynwood. Pittman goes up in the stands and restores order.

Killum makes a free throw, then gets out in front on a fast-break and does a double-clutch dunk that detonates the Lynwood stands.

It is 40-33.

Rogers makes two free throws and Otis, down 40-35, calls for a timeout.

Donerson gets on the mike again and shouts above the incredible din, “Dominguez fans, stay inside the gym until the Lynwood people leave.”

The Dons are not through. Whittiker hits a three-pointer, then with 1:50 left he drives and somehow scores a layup before hitting the floor hard. He does not get up for several minutes. When he does, he has a chance to tie the game at 40-40, but he misses the free throw and Levy gets the rebound.

Lynwood tries to freeze away the final minute. Killum suddenly fakes his man and breaks to the basket. He catches a pass and scores.

Barnes misses for the Dons and Singleton engineers a fast-break that results in a layup by Irby that makes the score 44-39, and seems to clinch the victory.

“It’s done, hon,” one Lynwood cheerleader tells another as the fans chant, “Lynwood, Lynwood.”

Despite a couple of late Dominguez baskets, Lynwood hangs on to win, 45-43.

When the buzzer sounds, Singleton throws the ball to the ceiling, jumps up and down, joins his teammates in a mid-court celebration, then shakes hands with Rogers.

The gym empties quickly and at last is quiet. Outside, under a full moon, the crowd disperses without incident.

“The Dons are still the best,” a tearless Dominguez cheerleader insists. “Now it’s time to party.”